Iraq violence shifting Arab media

BBC News ^ | 2005 Jun 23 | Sebastian Usher

[Wiz]

The latest bombings and bloodshed in Baghdad have meant that violence in Iraq has once again been dominating the bulletins on Arab satellite television stations.

The fact that Iraqi civilians are the main victims of the attacks is increasingly being stressed in reports, interviews and comments.

This has raised questions in some parts of the Arab media about the legitimacy of the groups carrying out the attacks, although the blame for the upsurge in violence is still mainly being placed on the Americans.

The coverage of the violence in Iraq by Arab satellite television stations has undergone a perceptible change in recent months.

Eyewitness anger

Al Jazeera - often accused by the Americans of stirring anti-US feeling - has adopted less of an "Us and Them" approach.

The militants are no longer referred to as the "resistance" but as gunmen or suicide bombers.

[68skylark]

When Muslims target American liberators, that's all fun and games. But when they target fellow Muslims, then it gets more serious.

[colorado tanker]

Of course, everything will always be America's fault, but this is encouraging. If most Iraqis wake up to the fact that the terrorists are just fascists trying to shoot their way back in power, and start cooperating, most of the terror networks can be rolled up.

[Mister Baredog]

although the blame for the upsurge in violence is still mainly being placed on the Americans.

I'm so sure the BBC is doing all they can to correct this misimpression, right? < sarcasm on >

[3AngelaD]

Actually, I think they made their big mistake by attacking the networks themselves. Nothing changes a reporter's point of view as quickly as being targeted, ditto for a news organization.

[stm]

I still don't think the Iraqi people have really reached the limit of their pain tolerance. After all they endured 30 years of unspeakable cruelty and evil under Hoosain and his two maniacal sons. I think once this pain threshold is finally reached you will finally see the Iraqi people themselves taking a proactive stand in ridding their country of these vermin. More than once I explained to people about our "Neighborhood Watch" programs here in the states and they all thought it was a good idea. The proof will be when something akin to it actually starts happening.

[FixitGuy]

Yep...I guess in war propaganda, it depends on WHO kills Who, huh?

'Bout time those A-rabs made a distinction.

Maybe if we started targeting Mosques and Muslims, we could get back on TV!

[popdonnelly]

But the terrorist attacks still play well with Democrats, particularly Democrats in Congress.

[68skylark]

When you say "they made their big mistake by attacking the networks," are you talking about the U.S. military and the number of journalists we've killed? Those killings were very regrettable in my opinion, and they hurt our coverage a lot, although I don't see how they could have been avoided.

Or are you saying that the terrorists have been targeting journalists?

[RedRover]

This really is progress. Arab satellite television stations may be slow but they're ahead of the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and the loathsome Mnpls Star Tribune in calling killers by their true name (can we please hear the last of the "insurgency"?)

[King Prout]

any time arab groupthink begins to resemble reality in even the slightest degree, I consider it a shocking miracle.

[McGavin999]

Iraqis woke up to that a long time ago. It's just the Arab media who is starting to talk about it. They can't hide it anymore because the people on the "street" have already heard about it via word of mouth. The Arab media is just trying to cover their backsides by telling people what they already know.

Of course, you will note that apparently the Arab media is a lot smarter than our own, since our own is still calling them insurgents.

[colorado tanker]

since our own is still calling them insurgents

LOL! Some things never change. Our MSM will not easily give up on calling Iraq another Vietnam and trying force us to surrender.

[McGavin999]

I've been reading the Iraqi blogs and they're all thrilled with the progress the last couple of days. They've been taking down terrorists like crazy.

Latest is that when some guys tried to bomb one of the ministries and ran off, some guy saw them and called the IP who sent in one of the swat teams. They found the guys huddled in the bathroom of the house with their guns still loaded. LOL, the people are turning these guys in at every turn.

[colorado tanker]

That's good news. I also read a report that Zarqawi has gotten crosswise with some of the western Sunni tribes.

[george wythe]

I'm so sure the BBC is doing all they can to correct this misimpression, right?

Thanks for the laugh. The BBC makes the former Radio Albania sound pro-American.

[I'm talking about the Radio Albania run by the communists until the 1990s. I remember using a shortwave radio to listen to those morons blame America for everything that went wrong in the world.]

[McGavin999]

Oh yeah, the tribes are slaughtering the foreign terrorists as they cross the border. Those tribes have been running a lucrative smuggling business for centuries and they're really not happy that the foreigners have brought the Americans to their neck of the woods. In addition, the stupid terrorists have been intimadating the villagers not realizing that the tribes have a responsibility to defend them as they are tribe members.

There are other tribes who see the potential for lots of money if the Iraqi government is a success, so they're joining in as well.

[Mister Baredog]

I remember using a shortwave radio to listen to those morons blame America for everything that went wrong in the world.]

And now all you have to do is tune in the Air America, LOL.